


Through A Mirror Clear

by pocket_pict



Category: CyberSix
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocket_pict/pseuds/pocket_pict
Summary: The reunification of Germany leads to a reunification on the other side of the world. But there's a saying about those who cannot remember the past, and as it starts to play itself out, Cybersix finds herself getting involved.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. A Debt Repaid

Berlin, 1991

The three men journeyed through the cemetery, their flashlights casting murky beams on the path ahead. The only other lights were far in the distance, and the moon was hidden by an overcast sky. Each of them carried a large shovel.

“Remind me why I’m doing this again,” whispered one of the men unhappily. He was barely out of his teens and trying to hide the fact that he was a little frightened about the task ahead.

“Because your grandfather asked us to do it, and we owe it to him,” answered his father, walking beside him. “And because we’re getting a shitload of money for it.”

“But he wouldn’t tell you anything about who the money’s coming from or why the guy wants him to do this.”

“Do you really care? We’ll get paid, trust me.”

“It’s just a fucked-up thing to have to do, that’s all.”

“Listen,” the older man said. “All I know is, your grandfather says he owes this guy big time for helping him with something a long time ago, and he’d do anything to repay him. He’s too old to do it himself or he’d be out here too. We’ll get it over with and you won’t have to think about it anymore.”

From behind them came a third voice, speaking as much to himself as to the other two. “This is bullshit, this is such _bullshit_ …”

The younger man glanced over his should in annoyance. “Unless someone can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“If he knows what’s good for him, he will,” threatened his father, looking back as well. “You hear me? You might be my nephew, but fuck this up and you’ll be out here permanently.”

The third man glared at him. “Fine,” he spat.

Eventually, the trio stopped where they had been instructed. The son illuminated the gravestone in front of them and read it. “This is it, huh?”

“Yeah. Just like he said. Let’s get moving.” Father and son plunged the edges of their shovels into the earth and started digging. The nephew joined in after a few moments’ hesitation. He glanced up at the stone again and frowned.

“Why are there two names on there? Why is there only one year under the second name?”

“Why do you think?” replied his uncle, not bothering to look up.

The implication hit the young man and he stopped digging. “Is there a kid in there?” he blurted out, much too loudly. The other two glared at him.

“Shut the hell up!”

“Are we digging up a fucking kid?” he asked in a strained whisper. “I don’t want to see a dead baby!”

“You won’t see anything. We’ll get what we need and then we’ll get out of here. Just keep digging,” instructed his uncle.

“Holy shit…”

After what seemed like hours, their shovels finally made contact with the coffin. They cleared the remaining soil away and began to work at levering open the rotting wooden lid. It was soft and eventually gave way, splintering dramatically along the edge as it flipped up and landed with a bounce against the opposite side of the hole.

Each man had been dreading the moment the awful stench hit them, but to their relief, there wasn’t much of a smell at all. As their flashlights shone down, they revealed nothing more than a skeleton, its hands placed together over the remains of a dress. Hair still clung sparsely to the skull, which was a little gruesome, but it was hardly the horror movie prop they were fearing.

“Well, who’s going to do the last part?” asked the eldest man.

“I’ll do it,” said his son, determined to prove his bravery. He slipped down into the hole, being careful to avoid landing on the body. Crouching over it, he gingerly reached for the right hand, grasping a yellowing knuckle between his finger and thumb. His other hand hovered above the ring finger for a moment as he steeled himself, before ripping it away from the hand in one quick movement, gold ring and all. It made a small crunch.

The man held it up to show his father and cousin. “Got it!” He started to stand up and his foot slipped on the decaying boards underneath him. His arms flew out as he tried to stop himself from falling on the body and accidentally caught his hand on the hem on the dress, flipping it up over the torso. His cousin caught sight of what lay underneath.

“Oh fuck, it’s the baby!” he shouted, backing away from the grave. “It’s fucking inside her! Oh Christ!”

“Shut the fuck up, idiot!”

“Someone’s gonna hear!” His uncle grabbed his son’s arm and helped him scramble out of the hole. They had no sooner grabbed their shovels when they saw a flashlight flick on from back at the entrance of the cemetery.

“Hey! What the hell’s going on out there?” a voice shouted.

The three men took off running, leaving the violated grave as far behind them as possible. Whoever had spotted them was much too far away to catch up in time, and before too long they were over the low iron fence at the far end of the cemetery and back in their car.

“You almost got us caught, shithead!” The son yelled at his cousin as they sped away.

“Well, it’s over now, anyway,” muttered his father, still breathing heavily as he drove. “And no one’s going to find out it was us.” He glared in the rear-view mirror at his frightened nephew. “Are they? We Lundgrens stick together.”

His nephew nodded but muttered to himself under his breath.

“Fuckin’ Nazis…”


	2. Wiedervereinigung

The first thing the creature knew was harsh, blinding light and the overwhelming need to breathe.

She threw her head back and took in several desperate gasps of air. Slowly, she became familiar with the sensation of breathing and realized that she could do it more comfortably. Other senses came to her: she was lying curled up at the bottom of something; she was cold and wet; she had long appendages – hair? feelers? – running up and away from her head and off to somewhere unseen.

There was a presence nearby. No, there were two. The creature was frightened and lay shivering. A door slid open on the side of whatever vessel she was currently in, inviting a gust of air that chilled her further. One of the two beings approached and began pulling the long hairs from off of her head. The creature flinched, expecting pain but instead feeling nothing. They were not parts of her body after all. The being then began pulling her to her feet and she slowly complied. She tried to look at its – his - face as he led her through the doorway, but once out of the intense light, she could see nothing but shadow.

The creature sat on a table under another bright light as the beings looked in her eyes and mouth and ears. One of them put something in her forearm which stung, drawing out some of her blood into a tube and taking it away. The other draped a thin blanket over her shoulders and she held it closely to her for warmth. She was made to drink something green and found that she felt steadier and more focused as it settled in her stomach. Finally, the being who had led her from the tank began to speak to her, and she found she could understand him.

He was Dr. von Reichter, her lord and master, and it was he who had given her life. In return, she would serve him and obey him in all things. She would also obey the man next to him, Herr Krumens, who in turn answered to the doctor. Did she understand him?

“Yes, master,” the creature said hoarsely.

Krumens was initially enthusiastic about his master’s latest accomplishment.

Herr Doktor had apparently been working on this project in secret for a long time, ever since the end of the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall meant that he could obtain what he needed without having to risk his treasure being intercepted by either side of a desperate power struggle. Things exiting Berlin were no longer being scrutinized as closely as they once were, and his contact had been more than happy to oblige him.

The project itself had been a slow process, however. There had been many simultaneous projects and experiments to work on, and his time to spend on another one was scarce. However, once the complex initial work was finally done, it had only been a matter of patience as the creature matured, growing and aging the equivalent of twenty years in only a single year’s time.

When it was nearly time for the “birth,” von Reichter had revealed the project’s existence to his assistant, who reacted to the news with utter surprise but also some excitement. Seeing the woman in the tank had brought back a flood of memories and feelings Krumens had thought were long buried. Maria was finally returning!

Though he had at first been jealous and resentful of the doctor’s wife, Krumens had eventually come to feel sympathy and even fondness for her. They had shared a strange connection, each victims of the same man that for different reasons they could not, or would not, escape from. Krumens had been so happy for Maria when she became pregnant with her son after so many years of trying. He had grieved for a long time after their deaths that terrible day in 1945. It had been nearly fifty years now, but seeing her unborn clone gave him hope that his friend might come back to him.

That hope was quickly dashed once the clone had been born. She had the same face, the same colouring, even the same voice. But once he had looked into her green eyes, it was clear to him – she was not Maria and never would be. This was not the clever, thoughtful woman Krumens had known. This was more like her shadow, like a pale imitation. He felt devastated all over again.

Now he sat with his master on the veranda, smoking and trying not to appear as miserable as he felt. It had only recently stopped raining and the air was filled with the sound of water trickling off the roof and off the countless billions of leaves in the jungle beyond.

Von Reichter, for his part, looked enormously pleased with himself. It would be a terrible thing to ruin one of his rare good moods and Krumens had no intention of doing so. He decided the safest thing to do would be to keep his mouth shut and only speak when spoken to.

Both men looked up at the sound of voices on the other side of the screen door. “That’s right,” someone said. There was a pause. Then, “go on, miss.”

The clone opened the door hesitantly and looked back into the house once before stepping out, barefoot, onto the veranda. She seemed to consider the men’s expressions for a moment before turning and staring out in wonder at the jungle. Her face lit up as she took in its beauty.

“Well,” von Reichter began, “let’s have a look at you.” The women turned to face him. He assessed her with a critical look as she stood nervously. She had been cleaned up and made presentable by two female Technos, who had put her in a white shift dress. Krumens noticed that her long red hair had been parted deeply on the left side, just as Maria’s had been. That could hardly be a coincidence.

The doctor looked like the cat who had swallowed the canary. He smiled indulgently. “Excellent. Come here,” he instructed, indicating the spot directly in front of him. The woman again complied, kneeling at his feet. Krumens felt a wave of revulsion. Not Maria. She was definitely not Maria.

Von Reichter leaned forward. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

The woman put her hand to her throat. “It hurts… in here.” She touched the side of her nose. “And here.”

“That’s from the feeding tube you had until you were born. It will go away soon.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I’m going to give your name now. Would you like that?”

“Yes, master.”

“You represent new beginnings. After all, I was only able to create you after the reunification of the Fatherland. One day, you will stand beside me as my queen when the entire world is given a new beginning under my command. And so, I will give you a name which fits these new beginnings – your name is Genesis.”

She couldn’t have fully grasped the implications of all he had said, but the woman smiled all the same. Von Reichter kissed her on the forehead.

“Happy birthday, Liebchen,” he said.

For the clone named Genesis, learning was almost as vital as water.

She had a million questions and read everything she could get her hands on, from biology to history to fashion. She had the mental capacity to understand things as an adult but lacked the life experience and wisdom one would have attained after twenty years of life. In a way, this almost gave her an advantage when it came to learning; she seemed to be absorbing knowledge as rapidly and insatiably as a small child.

What she didn’t realize, of course, was that the things she learned were carefully monitored and curated by her master. Hidden away from the outside world, it was easy for von Reichter to ensure that the things she learned were things he approved of, information that didn’t lead her to question the worldview he wanted to instill in her. There were things she simply didn’t need to know.

One day, Genesis had asked why she couldn’t understand the other creations at the compound.

“That’s because they speak a different language than you,” von Reichter had explained. “They speak Spanish and you speak German.”

“I see them every day, but I can’t communicate with them. And…I’d like to.”

“Why do you need to talk to them?”

“Well, it…just makes me feel a little lonely sometimes.”

“There’s no reason to feel lonely. You can talk to me.”

“Of course, master. But,” she hesitated for a moment, “I’d still like to learn Spanish, if I may.”

Von Reichter looked pensive. “I’ll think about it,” he concluded.

In fact, he had thought about it before she had ever been born. It was all part of his plan. Speaking German ensured that Genesis was clearly set apart from the other creations. It isolated her and ensured that the message was clear: she was not simply one of them. He did intend to allow her to learn Spanish eventually, but not before he deemed her ready. Not before he was sure that she knew her place.

After dangling the possibility over her for what he felt was an appropriate length of time, the doctor called Genesis to him and announced that he would allow her to begin learning her second language. The woman smiled from ear to ear.

“Oh, thank you, Herr Doktor!” she exclaimed. She quickly looked around to ensure they were alone, before wrapping her arms around his neck with a strength that set him stumbling back a few steps. She steadied him and smiled a bit sheepishly.

Von Reichter wasn’t particularly bothered by this. The fact that Genesis had remembered his rules about displaying affection, even when distracted by exciting news, gave him confidence that things were going exactly the way he had hoped. She seemed to be a real success.

The trouble, as it turned out, would arise in a way he hadn’t expected at all.

It began innocently enough on a typically humid night. Moths and other flying insects fluttered against the bedroom windows and beat out an endless rhythm, attracted by the light inside. Genesis had just emerged from the bath and was sitting on the edge of the bed in a black satin nightgown, brushing her damp hair. She hummed softly to herself.

Von Reichter was immersed in reading the latest reports from Meridiana when something about her humming made him immediately stop and stare in her direction. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Liebchen, what are you humming?”

Genesis paused and looked over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, master, is it bothering you?”

“No, no, that’s not what…that song; where did you hear it?”

“I didn’t hear it anywhere.” She frowned thoughtfully. “Is it really a song? I wasn’t even thinking. What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Nothing at all,” von Reichter said dismissively. The woman shrugged and continued brushing her hair, this time quietly.

He felt his initial shock dissipating, but a knot remained in the pit of his stomach. He knew exactly what song Genesis had been humming, and it was impossible for her ever to have heard it. There was a reason he would never play it, after all; it brought back too many painful memories.

_Davon geht die Welt nicht unter_ : one of the most popular songs of the Second World War. One that, like most people at the time, Maria had known by heart.


	3. She Who Cannot Remember The Past

Genesis unexpectedly found herself among a sea of people, in numbers she could never have imagined.

She was surrounded by girls who she somehow understood to be teenagers, despite never having met or been one herself. They were all dressed identically: navy-blue skirt, white blouse, black scarf, and each one wore their hair in braids. She realized that she looked the same. Maybe she was a teenager as well. They were standing in an outdoor arena or stadium of some kind. There was an intense mood in the air, one of anticipation and…something else she couldn’t quite identify.

She heard a band start up somewhere ahead of her and realized they were all facing a stage with a podium. On it were banners and flags exhibiting a symbol she knew from some of von Reichter’s belongings. She didn’t know what it meant, but at least it was familiar. She was beginning to feel uneasy.

Before she knew what was happening, Genesis and all the other girls were raising their right arms in a salute toward the stage, hands held straight with the fingers flat. Then they all began to shout something, thousands of voices chanting the same words over and over, as a man ascended onto the stage and walked toward the podium. He saluted back, and Genesis suddenly caught a glimpse of his face -

She awoke with a start. It was the middle of the night, and she had only been dreaming. Relieved, she rolled onto her back and tried to get comfortable again. Whatever the dream had meant, it had left her feeling very unsettled. She hoped she wouldn’t have another one with that man in it. Seeing him seemed to have scared her awake. Why had she reacted that way?

Genesis lay still for a while, listening to the trill of frogs outside the house and the sound of her master’s breathing as he slept next to her. She was safe. She began to relax, and finally drifted off again.

A week passed, and Genesis had nearly forgotten about her unsettling dream when she had another. This time, she was afraid for her life.

She was trapped somewhere in the dark, unable to see or move. Her body felt as if it were contorted into a painful position, forced in place by some unseen material pressing in around her. She heard the dull thud of her frightened pulse. There was no escape.

From somewhere above her, she began to hear a faint voice. It was her master! Herr Doktor was calling frantically for someone. It was not her name, but she knew she was the one he was looking for. She began crying out for him, struggling to pull the air into her lungs against the oppressive force trapping her.

After what seemed like an eternity, von Reichter found her and she began to see daylight as he started clearing away whatever was trapping her. He looked younger and wore glasses that he kept pushing back up the bridge of his nose as he leaned over her and dug her out.

Her arms were soon freed, but she felt too weak to use them. She saw Krumens, also younger-looking, also working to free her. Genesis began to smell something burning. There was fire close by, though she couldn’t see it. She hoped it wasn’t coming closer. They had to get away from this place.

Von Reichter was just beginning to lift her from her prison when she felt a jolt of incredible pain radiate through the lower half of her body. It took her breath away for a moment and she tensed up, fighting for air. Her throat opened up again and she started to scream.

“Liebchen! Liebchen, for God’s sake, wake up!”

Genesis was confused for a moment, unsure of where she was and whether she was still trapped. She came to her senses and saw that she was in bed, awakened by her master’s voice and his hand shaking her shoulder. He was sitting up next to her in the dark, looking startled.

“You were screaming in your sleep!” von Reichter told her, sounding more irritated than concerned. “What in the hell were you dreaming about?”

Genesis looked up at him, relieved that she was awake but still feeling frightened. What a terrible nightmare. And she was making a nuisance of herself as well.

“I’m sorry master,” she whimpered, choosing to grovel instead of answering his question. There was a knock at the door and Krumens opened it slightly, peering through the crack.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing. She had a nightmare,” answered von Reichter, clearly annoyed with both of them. “Go away.” Krumens complied without saying another word.

Genesis felt ashamed. She had crossed both of her superiors by doing something she could not control. She felt a lump form in her throat as the doctor lay down again, back turned away from her. “Go back to sleep,” he grumbled.

The embarrassed clone turned away from him as well, hugging herself and blinking back tears. She would try to sleep again, but she wondered what new nightmares it might bring.

_Trust the old bastard to make me go round her up_ , thought Krumens resentfully, slamming the door behind him. _I have to do every pain-in-the-ass job around here_. He stood for a moment in the yard, looking around and trying to determine where to start. The stupid bitch could be anywhere.

Things were getting tense around the compound lately. There was something wrong with Genesis and the longer it took von Reichter to fix the problem, the more everyone was going to suffer. Krumens had what he felt was an excellent solution, but there was no way in hell that he was actually going to suggest it. He’d never be given the honour of pulling the trigger anyway.

Her nightmares were nearly constant now and she had begun simply refusing to sleep until the doctor started plying her with the strongest tranquilizers he could get his hands on. When he told Krumens the things she had described seeing while she slept, he was taken aback. She seemed to be dreaming about Maria’s memories, and in particular the more traumatic ones. It seemed too incredible to be true, like something out of a ghost story. He had asked his clone-son Helmut if anything similar had ever happened to him, but the boy was adamant it hadn’t. He wasn’t sure if Herr Doktor’s repugnant little clone Jose even had dreams, but he doubted they ever bothered him if he did. Why it should be happening to Maria’s clone was a mystery. In any case, von Reichter was having trouble coming up with a solution. The tranquilizers might not work on her forever without losing effectiveness, or worse, the lack of R.E.M. sleep could cause permanent damage. Until he could come up with something, he was going to be hell to live with. Not that he was easy to deal with the rest of the time.

Krumens trudged out to the perimeter of the compound and began to circle around from there. He had an idea of where Genesis might be and wanted to get a better view of the rooftops. He was right; it wasn’t long before he spotted her up on top of one of the silos, nose stuck in a book as usual. He smirked. That part of Maria, at least, had survived.

He walked to the base of the silo and looked up, squinting in the sunlight. There was a ladder, but he wasn’t going to go to the trouble of climbing it. He cleared his throat.

“Genesis! Get down here right now!” he ordered at the top of his lungs. He jumped as she landed right next to him, her shoes making a soft thud in the long grass.

“Don’t do that, woman! You always land too close!” he scolded her, already turning to leave. “Herr Doktor wants to see you.”

“Yes sir. I’m sorry sir,” she said meekly, following a short distance behind. Genesis was always very submissive with him, well aware that he disliked her but not understanding why. This only made Krumens dislike her more. She lacked the resiliency of her predecessor.

The two of them returned to the main house in awkward silence. Krumens continued inside and started up the stairs to the second floor, not bothering to look behind him to ensure the woman was following. “He’s on the veranda,” he stated flatly, hearing the woman’s footsteps quickening as she caught up with him on the stairs.

He did bother to turn and hold the door for her once they got to the veranda, but only went to the trouble because his master was there. Genesis eyed him nervously as she passed. She crossed the short distance to where von Reichter sat in his chair and stopped directly in front of him, evidently relieved to be away from Krumens. He imagined she was probably the only person on Earth who could ever feel the emotion of relief when entering the doctor’s presence instead of leaving it.

“You wanted to see me, Herr Doktor?”

Von Reichter left her waiting for a moment to take a leisurely puff on the cigarette he was smoking. “How are you coming along with your Spanish studies?” he asked finally.

Genesis smiled and held up the book she had been reading. “Very well sir. I was just reviewing the newest materials now.”

“Good. Then I’m sure you’ll find this next challenge very exciting.” He retrieved an envelope from the table beside him and held it out to her. She took it from him and peeked inside the opening.

“Go ahead, have a look.”

Genesis paused to put her book down before pulling out the contents of the envelope. A passport, some sort of identification card, tickets…she met his gaze with a puzzled expression.

“Sir?”

“You’re going on a trip, Liebchen. To Meridiana. Just for a few weeks, to take your mind off this trouble you’ve been having.”

“Really? Oh master, thank you!” she exclaimed. She stopped smiling for a moment as something occurred to her. “But…you won’t be coming?”

He shook his head dismissively. “No, no, I need to stay here and work. You’ll be perfectly fine without me. You’ll be staying in the home of my son, and his staff will see to your every need. Now go and pack your bags. You’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”

Genesis was smiling again. “Of course, sir!” She picked up her book and hurried back inside.

As soon as she was out of sight, von Reichter’s smile quickly disappeared. Krumens sat down and lit a cigarette of his own. He could barely contain himself. She was leaving! He would be rid of that insipid woman for weeks – maybe a month, maybe longer if he was lucky! Things could finally go back to normal.

“She certainly took that well,” muttered von Reichter.

“It’s very generous of you to send her on a vacation, sir,” ventured Krumens.

He received an exasperated look. “Bullshit. I’m not sending her on vacation. I just need her out of here so I can concentrate. What I’m giving her is more of a probationary period.” Von Reichter frowned. “Or her last chance.”

“Her last chance?”

“You heard me. I won’t have her carrying on this way forever. It pains me to do it, but if I can’t come up with a solution in the next few weeks, I’m going to have to call this particular project a failure.” He ground the butt of his cigarette savagely into the ashtray. “And terminate it.”


	4. Welcome to The Real World

Genesis shielded her eyes with one hand as she stepped out of the jet and onto the staircase. Her sunglasses weren’t quite enough protection; the sunlight seemed so much brighter here, without the canopy of the rainforest to filter it. Her heart leapt with excitement as she descended to the tarmac, followed by a small entourage of Fixed Ideas and Technos. Her tiny world was rapidly expanding, and she couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead once she arrived in Meridiana.

She followed the lead Techno through the protocols of the airport, and they made their way out to a waiting limousine. Heads turned as the group passed through, and Genesis noted that the humans looked every bit as curious about her as she was about them. Humans! There were so many of them, and she was fascinated by how different they all were from one another, each one a unique combination of size, shape and colouring. She imagined she could watch them all day and never see two that looked exactly alike.

Genesis gazed out the window as the limousine entered the city limits and descended into the depths of Meridiana. She was little distracted, however, by the nervous energy of the other creations in the car. She kept catching them staring at her, out of the corner of her eye. She was aware of her own beauty, but she suspected that had little to do with why they were so nervous. They couldn’t possibly be afraid of her…could they? That didn’t make sense. She had been nothing but kind and polite to them. There had to be something else going on that she didn’t understand.

The sound of the car’s phone made them all jump, and the lead Techno grabbed it before it could ring a second time. He nervously fidgeted with his blond ponytail as he answered.

“Yes, Herr Doktor. This is Techno 112 speaking. Of course, sir. Right away.” He held the receiver out to Genesis, hand shaking slightly. “The master wants to talk to you, Miss.”

“Thank you, Mr. 112,” she said, taking it with a smile. The other creations stared at her as she began to answer von Reichter’s questions in German. Yes, everything was fine. Flying hadn’t made her too nervous. They were in the middle of the city now. Everyone was very nice to her. Yes, she would remember to take her sleeping pills before bed.

“ _Jawohl, Herr Doktor. Auf wiederhören_.” She handed the receiver back to 112 and saw him pause. “Oh, we’ve finished. You can put it back now.” He looked relieved and did as she said. An awkward silence descended on the group.

It was mercifully broken a few minutes later by the driver. “We’ll be arriving at Master Jose’s residence in about five minutes, Miss,” he called back.

“Very good; thank you, sir.” Thank goodness. Everyone else’s nervousness was beginning to get to Genesis, and she felt a little embarrassed by the way they had looked at her when she was speaking German. She was more than ready to get to where she was going.

The limousine soon reached the grounds of the enormous white mansion and began to pull up into the driveway. Genesis thought it was a rather large place for just one person to live in. There must be a sizeable staff to ensure its upkeep. The doctor’s son clearly had a lot of power and influence, and she wondered what sort of a man he was.

Jose stood at the large window above the front entrance and glared out at the limousine pulling into the driveway. _His_ limousine, he thought resentfully. His father had given him no say in the matter of being saddled with a houseguest for the next few weeks. Why not twist the knife further and insist that she be entitled to the use of his vehicle as well?

He turned away and stalked downstairs, in no hurry to play host. Jose hated to admit it, but he wasn’t just angry - he was worried.

When von Reichter had first called and told him the newest creation was coming to stay with him in Meridiana, his son had been left wondering why he was making such a big deal about it. Why did the senile old bastard want him to roll out the red carpet for this one? He learned, after managing to pry it out of Krumens, that she was a clone of his long-dead wife. Evidently, his father had paid some collaborator in Germany to dig up her grave not long after reunification and send a piece of the remains to him. That was disgusting.

It was also hilarious. Jose managed to keep himself in check until he had hung up the phone, then laughed until he was practically sick. His father had been married? He had always figured the old man to be dead from the neck down, and here he was going to all this trouble to resurrect some woman who had been in the ground for almost fifty years! Of course, Jose couldn’t imagine there had been too many women willing to put up with someone like von Reichter, maybe not even his own mother. Looking at it that way, he supposed he shouldn’t be too surprised at the effort being put in to bring her back. She must have been as insane as him.

But the more Jose thought about it, the more the situation started to concern him. Whoever the original woman had been was not as important as who her clone would be. It wasn’t hard to imagine her occupying a role as his superior, if his father decided it. She could be coming here to replace him. True, he had never placed a female creation in any position of power before, but this wasn’t a normal creation. She could be a serious threat.

The doorbell rang ominously as Jose reached the bottom of the stairs. There he remained, arms crossed, as Helmut appeared from somewhere in the depths of the mansion, followed by the majority of the staff. They were all being paraded out to greet her? Jose didn’t like the looks of this at all.

Helmut briefly glanced in his young master’s direction before opening the door. His poker face slipped momentarily before he could stop it and as Jose watched their guest step through the door, he saw why.

It was a beautiful redhead who looked as if she were no more than twenty. She was dressed in a suit jacket and matching skirt that made her look as if she were about to appear in court – obviously an outfit chosen by his father. _This_ was her? This was the clone of his wife?

The woman smiled sweetly. “Good afternoon sir,” she said to Helmut and reached down slightly to shake his hand. “I’m Genesis von Reichter. And you must be Mr. Helmut.” She had a noticeable German accent.

“Yes, that’s right. Miss Genesis, welcome to Meridiana,” he announced grandly. Jose could see how deeply the boy was blushing. Pathetic. This was probably the first time he’d ever touched a woman, too.

“All right, that’s it for now. Everyone clear out,” barked Jose. The woman glanced at him curiously as the foyer emptied. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and he intended to cut her off before she dared open her mouth and say the words he so hated: _but you’re just a child!_

Helmut closed the door, and soon the three clones were alone: two with minds far more mature than their bodies, and one far less. Jose stalked up to Genesis and gave her an insincere smile. She returned it nervously.

“So, you’re calling yourself von Reichter, are you?” he began.

“Uh…yes, sir. Herr Doktor said that I -”

“Well, I’m Jose von Reichter,” he continued, interrupting her. “His son. And let me make this perfectly clear: I’m the one in charge here. My father may have coddled you back at the lab, but when you’re here I expect you to give me the respect I’m owed. I never asked for you to come into my house, and you’ll stay here only for as long as I allow it.”

“Master, that’s not what -”

“Shut up, Helmut.” Jose was enjoying how anxious the woman was becoming. Genesis looked as if the knees on those long white legs of hers were about to start shaking. She was as well-built as the renegade Cyber and he couldn’t help but wonder what she looked like under that ridiculous suit.

After a pause, she seemed to gather her courage. “I will respect you, Master Jose. I make you that promise.”

He was amused at her awkward turn of phrase. Her Spanish was good, but she wasn’t quite fluent yet. That was something he could use against her.

“Good to know. Helmut, show our guest to her room. Send her luggage up with one of the Fixed Ideas. I have work to do.” He turned to leave. “That’s a hell of an accent, by the way,” he shot back over his shoulder. She looked down in embarrassment. He had clearly struck a nerve.

Genesis felt the sick knot in her stomach only slightly untie itself as she entered the guest room. Helmut was informing her where things were and what to do if she needed anything. He mentioned dinner but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to eat anything, even by then. He was a perfect gentleman, but his master…she was almost afraid to cross paths with him again.

“A Fixed Idea will be up shortly with your things. Do you need anything else, Miss?”

“No thank you, I’m alright.” She forced a smile.

“I’ll leave you to it then. And Miss Genesis?”

“Yes?”

“I apologize about the young master. He can be extremely difficult, but please don’t let him intimidate you.” The look in his eyes was one far too dark for any normal little boy. “My job here is to control him.”


	5. A Taste Of Freedom

“Well, I was going there today, but the natural history museum was very big, and I wanted to see it all. So we stayed there many hours and then we had to come back here!”

“That’s alright. It’s only your first full day here. And you had a good time, right?”

“Yes, of course! I see more places tomorrow.”

Genesis and Helmut were sitting on the main staircase, talking again. The woman and her entourage had just returned home as it was nearing dinnertime. Von Reichter had encouraged her to go out and explore the city, but only in the presence of her security team, and only during the day. Meridiana, he had warned her, was a very unsafe place at night.

She smiled at Helmut, tucking her hair back behind one ear and he felt his heart race a little. He had only met Genesis the day before, but he was already captivated by her. No one had ever talked to him the way she did. He was used to either giving orders or receiving them, but Genesis treated him as an equal. She seemed to genuinely care what he had to say. Helmut thought she was the most charming person he had ever met. No wonder their master was so protective of her!

A clock struck the hour and echoed off the marble in the foyer. The boy stood up and adjusted his tie. “Time for dinner.” He extended a hand to Genesis, who remained sitting. “Ready, Miss?”

She looked nervous. Jose had made quite the impression on her the previous afternoon, and she was clearly hesitant to spend yet more time with him.

“You’ll be all right, Miss. I’ll be with you the whole time,” he assured her.

Finally she rose, took a deep breath and turned to him. “Thank you, Mr. Helmut.” She bent down and gently held his face, kissing the top of his blond head.

Walking hand in hand to the dining room, Helmut thought his heart might burst at any moment.

Jose was used to eating alone and expected this dinner to be interminable, but so far it hadn’t been terrible.

For the most part, he simply sat back and observed from the head of the table as the other two made small talk. They seem to have struck up some kind of pathetic friendship, probably because neither of them had anyone else in the world to talk to. He found their conversation boring, but paid attention all the same, in case either of them said something particularly stupid that he could use to his advantage later. He had greatly enjoyed upsetting Genesis yesterday. Insulting her was a bit like insulting his father by proxy.

When she seemed more relaxed, he decided to rattle her cage a little. She was rambling on about something she had seen in the museum and mentioned an employee there she had interacted with. He made his move.

“You’ve been talking to humans?” he interjected.

She looked at him with a guarded expression. “Yes, sir. A few of them. Why do you ask?”

He feigned innocence. “Well, what do you make of them?”

“They’re...interesting. All very different from each other. But I find they’re always very nice to me.”

“Oh, of course they are!” he smiled patronizingly. “That’s humans for you. They’ll do anything for a nice pair of tits and a pile of money!” Genesis turned bright red and looked down at her plate as he burst out laughing.

“ _Young Master!_ ”

“Oh, calm down, it’s a compliment!” Jose snickered. “Humans are morons, anyway. If I were you, I wouldn’t even bother interacting with them unless you absolutely have to. I mean, what’s the point?”

“I’m sure they’re just as curious about you as you are about them, Miss Genesis,” said Helmut reassuringly. “You have a very charming personality.”

_Ass-kisser_ , thought Jose, frowning as the woman looked at her friend gratefully.

“Don’t trouble yourself about their motives, in any case,” continued Helmut, throwing an angry glace at his master. “Those of us given life by our great creator are on a level above humans on the evolutionary ladder. You have a much higher purpose in life than they do.”

_That’s funny_ , mused Jose. _I didn’t know being a concubine was a ‘higher purpose!’_ He let out a snort, and the other two eyed him suspiciously. This was fun. He was beginning to enjoy having a houseguest.

Genesis was beginning to wonder how she would handle being Jose’s houseguest. She would never dream of asking to return home early; she didn’t want to appear ungrateful for the opportunity she was being given. But Jose was just too much. He seemed to know exactly what to say to shake her confidence or outright hurt her. What a monstrous little boy he was. Well, that wasn’t quite right – he wasn’t really a little boy. Genesis vaguely understood that he was really an adult in the shell of a child, but since she had never met a real child before, she didn’t completely grasp the difference. In any case, she would have to deal with her problems herself. She didn’t want to cause any trouble. At least she had Helmut.

She sat for a while on her bed, feeling restless. She hadn’t been able to be as active in Meridiana as she was used to. Normally, Genesis moved around the compound as much and as fast as she liked, jumping among the rooftops and trees. She couldn’t do that here, where humans would see her.

But what about when it got too dark for them to see? Von Reichter had told her it was dangerous to go out at night, but maybe he was referring to the people she might run into. If she stayed above the streets, where no one could see her, maybe she would be okay. She was stronger and faster than humans anyway. They’d never hurt her if they couldn’t catch her.

Genesis smiled mischievously. It was getting late, and she was supposed to be getting ready for bed. No one would be checking on her until morning. She could slip out now and be back in a few hours, unmissed. She stood up and walked to the window, passed the nightstand where her powerful sleeping pills sat in their orange container. Not tonight.

Opening the window, the night air hit her nostrils and brought with it the countless fascinating scents of the city. She scanned the yard quickly for anyone who might see her. The coast was clear. Heart pounding with excitement, she stepped out onto the ledge, and in an instant, she was off into the freedom of the darkness.

It felt wonderful. Her muscles had been longing for this movement ever since she had arrived in Meridiana. The rooftops and towers laid out before her invitingly, and she ran and jumped aimlessly for a while, enjoying the feeling of the air rushing past her.

She spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and came to a stop on the top of an apartment building, shoes skidding on its tar-and-chip roof. Several blocks away, there was another figure moving across the skyline – and it was a woman!

Genesis watched, fascinated. The woman – obviously another creation - was clearly very familiar with the area and was just as strong and fast and she was, possibly more. She moved with fluidity and grace, not only jumping but flipping as she navigated the terrain, her long cape accentuating the beauty of her movements. Genesis had never known there were others like her. She had to know more and started moving in the woman’s direction to catch up with her.

It wasn’t easy. The woman was extremely fast, and Genesis was reaching her limit. When she finally got close enough, she called out to her: “Please wait!”

The woman stopped where she was and turned quickly in surprise. She looked as if she were ready to fight. That was strange. Why was she expecting an enemy? Who would attack her? Genesis landed on the rooftop a short distance away. She didn’t want to frighten the woman off, although she couldn’t imagine that anyone could possibly see her as threatening.

She was the most beautiful woman Genesis had ever seen, tall and incredibly graceful. Her short black hair fell over one of her dark eyes. She wore a fedora and a leather bodysuit as black as her hair, both shining and glossy in the moonlight. She almost didn’t look real.

Genesis was in awe. “Who are you?” she breathed.


	6. Trust Exercises

“I may as well ask you the same question,” answered Cybersix, watching the younger woman cautiously. Another creation.

She was the most beautiful woman Cybersix had ever seen, graceful and ladylike with long, red hair. She certainly wasn’t dressed for a fight. The woman wore jeans, a short black shirt and a green cardigan, but her clothes all looked new and possibly expensive. That cardigan looked like cashmere.

The woman smiled sweetly. “My name is Genesis von Reichter,” she said. A puzzled look crossed her face and Cybersix realized that she must have instinctively recoiled at the name. The only creation who ever used that name for himself was Jose. What was going on?

“I’m...I’m Cybersix.” She waited for a reaction, but Genesis didn’t appear to recognize her name. She only kept smiling and approached slowly.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Cybersix.” She offered her hand and waited patiently.

_What the hell_ , thought Cybersix after a moment, and shook it. If this was a trap, it was definitely something new.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I didn’t know there is another who can run and jump like me and I had to meet you. I thought I was alone.”

“That’s all right. I understand what it’s like to be lonely.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Cybersix,” replied Genesis. “I’m not always lonely, you see. I was a little, but I learned Spanish and then it was better. I only talk German to Herr Doktor and Herr Krumens.”

“Oh, of course.” _This is absolutely bizarre_ , thought Cybersix. _I can’t wait to tell Data_.

The bell of the clock tower sounded somewhere in the distance. “Listen Genesis,” she continued. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get going now. I have something important I have to get done tonight.” It wasn’t a lie. She had been hoping to hunt down some sustenance. She could get it right here from Genesis, but that seemed wrong. Too mean-spirited.

“I see. That’s alright. I should go back to the mansion soon.” Genesis leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m not allowed to go out at night. Please don’t tell anyone you saw me.”

Cybersix grinned. “I won’t. Just as long as you don’t tell anyone you saw me.”

“Oh, I promise.” The woman turned to go, then paused. “Miss Cybersix? May I...come see you again?”

“Well...okay, why not? I could meet you here again at the same time tomorrow night.” She could always hide a short distance away, just in case Genesis didn’t come alone.

“That’s wonderful! We’ll see us again tomorrow! Goodbye, Miss Cybersix!” With that, the woman was off, headed in the direction of Jose’s mansion, just as she had said.

“Goodbye, Miss Genesis,” said Cybersix quietly, bewildered but not exactly upset.

True to her word, Genesis returned the next night. Cybersix, hiding around a corner as planned, saw that the other woman was unaccompanied and decided to reveal herself. She alighted on the rooftop.

Genesis joined her a few moments later, all smiles again. She had something in her hand which she presented to Cybersix – a glass bottle which glowed green from the sustenance inside.

“This is for you. You’re very fast, so you might need more of it than I do.”

The Cyber was astonished. “Thank you so much!” she said, taking the bottle and turning it in her hands. It looked real enough, but she was hesitant. She hadn’t forgotten the time von Reichter had tainted the whole supply in order to poison her. If not for her friends, she might not have survived. She wasn’t sure whether to trust Genesis yet. Then a simple solution occurred to her.

“Why don’t we split it?” she suggested. “I’d hate to take too much of your share.”

“Oh no, I’m allowed as much as I want. That’s why no one noticed when I took this to my room.”

“Please? I’m sure you could use it too.” _Come on_...

“Well, if you insist.” Genesis reluctantly took the bottle back, prying it open and drinking some of the contents. Seeing that it was safe, Cybersix waited her turn, then drank deeply. It had been such a long time since she had been able to get pure sustenance, without the horror of sucking it out of a creation’s bleeding neck. She felt incredibly clear-headed. Incredibly _good_.

She took the younger woman’s hand in hers. “Come with me,” she said. “I’ll show you somewhere with a better view.”

She led the way through the urban maze until they arrived at the enormous stone angel at the centre of town. They made their way up to the top of one of its massive folded wings and sat at the edge. Far below them, the headlights of cars circled the roundabout and the whole city spread out before them.

“What do you think?” asked Cybersix.

Genesis turned to her. “It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. Cybersix supposed some people might not agree with her assessment, but then again, beauty was subjective.

They talked for a long time, Cybersix being friendly but guarded with her words so as not to give anything incriminating away. She asked Genesis about herself, trying to find out who she was and what might be going on. A picture of the young woman began to form in her mind: intelligent, curious, but a little unsure of herself, and totally sheltered from the dark reality of the circumstances in which they lived as creations from a laboratory.

Genesis told her about the problem of her nightmares, a subject that Cybersix was all too familiar with. But the idea that she was sent to Meridiana to “take her mind off them” was something the Cyber simply couldn’t believe. Von Reichter hadn’t sent her here to preserve her mental health; he just wanted her far away from him while he solved the problem. If he could solve it, that was. She knew all too well what happened to failed experiments, and she began to fear for her new friend.

She didn’t realize she was getting lost in her thoughts until Genesis said something that caught her completely off guard.

“Oh! I forgot a funny thing! Miss Cybersix, did you ever use...I think it’s called an “alias?”

She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Had she been found out? Had Genesis followed her and discovered her identity as Adrian Seidelman?

“Uh...I, um...an alias?” she sputtered.

Genesis laughed. “I didn’t think so,” she continued. Cybersix thought she would faint with relief. “It was silly of me to ask, no? But I have one. I have a passport and a card with my photo, but they don’t have my real name. I think Herr Doktor wants it to be a secret from the humans. I’ll tell it to you if you want.”

“S-sure. What is it?”

“Maria Schweitzer. Herr Doktor says it’s a very beautiful name.”

Adrian sat at his usual table immersed in a book and a coffee, only faintly registering the ambient sounds of the café. He was startled by the sudden appearance of a large, masculine hand between his face and the page he was concentrating on, waving back and forth to get his attention. Adrian looked up, grinning.

“Hi, Lucas.”

His friend took off his wet coat, hanging it across the back of the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. “Hey, buddy. Nasty out there.”

Adrian glanced up at the rain-streaked window. It was spring, but the gloomy weather appeared to be setting in again. Luckily Cybersix hadn’t planned on meeting Genesis tonight.

“Great. I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

“Neither did I,” muttered Lucas, feeling his wet hair. “Can I get another two coffees?” He asked the approaching waiter.

“Thanks. By the way, did you find what you were looking for? That thing for Cybersix?” Adrian tried to sound casual.

Lucas shook his head. “Nah, I couldn’t find out a damn thing,” he said, frustrated. He’d do absolutely anything for her, and his disappointment in himself was obvious. “Maybe that detective friend of hers will have better luck. I mean, that’s his job, right?”

Adrian felt sorry for him, but he had to admit, Lucas did look awfully cute when he pouted like that. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I mean, for all you know, the only place you’d find that name is in an old file somewhere in Germany.” He finished off his coffee. “And you don’t speak German,” he added, amused.

Lucas made a sound of annoyance and looked out the window. “I’d learn it for her,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. Adrian felt a flutter in his – Cybersix’s – chest.

The coffee arrived, and the bigger man decided to change the subject. “So, what are you reading there? Something for class?”

Adrian looked down at his book. “Oh, this? Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

“What is it?”

“Oh, just poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.”

“Tennyson, huh? Sounds English.”

“Yeah, he was the Poet Laureate under Queen Victoria.” Adrian neglected to tell Lucas the real reason he had been mulling over Tennyson’s work, or rather, one ballad in particular. Cybersix had been reminded of it lately, finding it hit a little too close to home when it came to her newest friend. Her fellow creation, who was kept like a bird in a gilded cage and had only recently begun to consider freedom.

_“I am half-sick of shadows,” said_

_The Lady of Shalott._


	7. Ignorance Is Bliss

_Finally! Here we go_ , thought the detective, and trained his binoculars on the opening front door. A team of laboratory creations filed out, and among them was the target he was planning to follow. He scrambled down off the roof and hurried out to the street, hoping that for once he could get a taxi in a reasonable amount of time. Lucky that he knew ahead of time where his mark was going and didn’t have to try to chase her down.

Miao Yashimoto had only recently returned to Meridiana from Japan, drawn back by his career goals in the comic book industry and making ends meet by reopening the detective agency left to him. The von Reichter “family” was unaware of his return and he’d prefer to keep it that way, but when Cybersix had asked him for his help...well, he just couldn’t say no to her. He couldn’t turn down his muse, the savior of his little sister.

She had shown up a few nights ago at his window with a mystery she was hoping he could help her solve. A new creation she was trying to learn more about, but strangely enough, one she wasn’t completely sure was a threat to her. She wanted to confirm this however, and that was why he had been waiting around on a rooftop for the last few hours watching the mansion. She needed to know two things. The first was: what the creature got up to during the day and if the facts matched up with the things it claimed about itself. Herself?

A taxi showed up after a few minutes, and he told the driver to take him to a particular street downtown. From there he planned to use the crowds to his advantage.

As they drove, he wondered how things were going with the other part of his search. The second thing he had been tasked with was finding out the significance – if any – of a name: Maria Schweitzer. Cybersix suspected that he might have to look a lot further away than Meridiana for the answer, which was where the internet had come in handy. He frequented several international message boards dedicated to detective work, amateur and professional, and he was hoping to hear back soon from one source or another. He could only guess at what Cybersix thought it meant.

Once he was out of the taxi, Yashimoto began making his way down the busy sidewalk, heading toward the art museum Cybersix said the creature was planning to visit. She had called him just the night before (at a very late hour, but he hadn’t complained) to relay this information to him. Apparently, the two of them were meeting up on a regular basis. He tried to imagine one of those creatures having an interest in things like the arts, but it was difficult. Cybersix seemed like the only one of them independent enough to even comprehend that sort of thing, let alone seek it out.

He considered entering the museum, but decided it was easier to wait outside and pretend to people-watch while he waited for the creature to come out. He didn’t see the limousine anywhere, but that wasn’t surprising given the challenge of parking downtown. She would have undoubtedly arrived by now. She’d come out the front entrance too, he was sure of it. If she went everywhere with that entourage of...things like Cybersix said, she obviously wasn’t too concerned with blending in or discreetly slipping out a back door.

It took quite a while, but sure enough, the creature finally appeared and Yashimoto watched from a short distance away as she and her team exited the building. It was now that he was no longer separated from her by his binoculars that he got his first truly good look at her. And it left him a little shaken.

She was just as beautiful as Cybersix had said, with colouring that would have made her stand out even without the Fixed Ideas and Technos around her. She didn’t look like the product of a corrupt and evil mind at all – but then, neither did Cybersix. Her face was kind, her expression innocent and curious. She didn’t notice him, and the group began to head away from him and down the street.

Yashimoto realized what he was feeling and scolded himself. _Oh no you don’t_ , he thought in frustration. _You’re not going to get infatuated with another mysterious and unobtainable woman. That’ll work out about as well as that crush you had on Yuki Saito when you were 15_. And this wasn’t an actress – this wasn’t even a human being. He ran a hand through his bleached hair, sighed, and got up to continue his tracking.

“Cybersix? May I ask you a strange question?”

“Sure. What is it?”

They were perched on top of the stone angel again, watching Meridiana go about its nighttime business below. Cybersix noticed that her friend was slowly starting to follow her request not to be so formal with her, no longer addressing her as “Miss.” She imagined that meant moving a little out of her comfort zone. Good for her.

“What’s your earliest memory?” Genesis asked, playing with the ring on her right hand.

“My earliest memory?” Cybersix repeated. That was hardly something she’d like to spend much time considering. Those early memories were the ones she’d love to forget. “I’m not sure. I’d say...the lab? My brothers and sisters?”

The other woman seemed to consider this. “Do you think I could have a memory from...before I was born?”

“What do you mean?” asked Cybersix, curious.

“Do you think I could have a memory from a different life?”

“You mean like reincarnation?” She received a confused look. “That’s the idea that people live more than one time – they live a life, then they die, then they’re born again as someone else.”

“Yes, a little like that, but what if the memory doesn’t seem like my own?”

Cybersix was fascinated. “Has that been happening to you? Do you have memories of another life?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t take my sleeping pills and I had another nightmare. But sometimes I think they aren’t really nightmares. Sometimes I think they’re memories. But they aren’t my memories.”

“What happens in them? I mean, if you don’t mind telling me.”

Genesis continued playing with her ring nervously. “Bad things. I’m scared or hurt. Or...dying. And it’s a long time ago. But Herr Doktor is there sometimes.”

Cybersix felt a chill run down her spine. “And you’re seeing these things as if you’re someone else?”

“Yes. He calls me a different name. And he’s young.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why do I have another person’s memories?”

“I don’t know. I wish I could help you.”

“Well,” Genesis concluded, “At least when I have a nightmare here, I’m alone and I don’t bother anyone.”

“What do you mean alone?” Cybersix asked, a knot growing in her stomach. She didn’t like where this was going.

Genesis looked at her strangely. “I mean I sleep alone here. Herr Doktor isn’t next to me.”

Cybersix felt her blood turn to ice and it took everything she had not to cry out in horror. She must have heard Genesis wrong. She couldn’t really be doing that. _He_ couldn’t be doing that.

She looked at her new friend as she sat next to her, blissfully unaware of how devastated Cybersix was by her innocent statement. Things were worse than she could have imagined, and poor Genesis couldn’t begin to comprehend it.

“Uh oh, I uh...I just remembered something I need to get done,” Cybersix managed to say, pushing her words painfully through the tightness in her throat. She had to get away from here quickly. “I’ve got to go. Sorry.” She fought against the tears trying to form in her eyes.

Genesis smiled forgivingly. Of course she did. “That’s alright.”

“I’ll see you...um....t-two nights from now?”

“Yes! Until then.”

Cybersix turned tail and jumped down onto the angel’s head, making her escape as fast as she possibly could. Tears streamed from her eyes and flew back behind her on the rushing wind.

Lucas said nothing and simply held the woman to him as they sat on the floor, stroking her hair as she sobbed uncontrollably. She had appeared suddenly at his window, face wet with tears. He had barely gotten it open before she blurted out her terrible discovery and collapsed into his strong arms.

“She’s a child! She’s just a child!” cried Cybersix after a while.

“I know, Cyber. I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.

“I can’t stand it! I feel so awful for her!”

“Well, that’s the problem with having a big heart.” Lucas considered the situation silently and listened as Cybersix began to calm herself. Eventually he spoke again. “Where do you want to go from here?”

She sniffed. “I...I’m not sure. Do you mean, am I going to try to get her to escape?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know you. You’re not the kind of person who just stands by when someone needs help.”

“But would I really be helping her? I’d be telling her to leave everything she knows and dooming her to a life of hiding in the shadows. She’d never feel safe again.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “She’d be just like me.”

Lucas wanted to tell her she was wrong. That he could protect her from her creator and anything he might send into the world to bring her down. He wanted to tell her they could face these things together, if only she could trust him – and her own self – enough. But he knew better than to try to make that argument right now.

Instead, he offered what he thought the question boiled down to: “I guess you’ll have to decide whether you think she’s better off safe and lied to or in danger but knowing the truth.”

Cybersix looked at him, impressed. “That’s really profound, Lucas.”

“I have my moments,” he deadpanned.

“But it’s not going to be easy. God, I just wish I knew how this was all going to work out. I think...I think I need more information first. I need to know what Yashimoto finds out, before I make my next move.”

“You think there’s something else going on here, don’t you?”

She met his gaze. “I have a theory.”


	8. Putting It All Together

There was a knock at the windowpane and Yashimoto jumped up immediately to open it. He had been shuffling and reshuffling his collection of evidence on the sofa for the last ten minutes or so, still not sure how best to present it. He didn’t like being the bearer of bad news, but then again, he wasn’t even sure if this was bad news. Or good news, or...he wasn’t sure what it was, other than crazy.

Cybersix slipped in through the window. “Hello, Miao,” she said, smiling nervously. She seemed to be as worried as he was. He was just offering her a drink when there came a knock on the door and they both jumped.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” laughed Cybersix. “Just look at us!”

“Like a couple of frightened rabbits,” said Yashimoto as he opened the door. “Hi, Amato. Come on in.”

Lucas read the faces of the other two with amusement. “I think I got here just in time. You both look like you’re about to start climbing the walls if we don’t get started.”

“You have no idea.”

They quickly got settled in. Cybersix and Lucas sat together on the couch as Yashimoto flipped through his collection one final time. He had brought over the stool from his drafting table but only stood beside it for a few moments as he considered how to start. He eventually sat down and cleared his throat.

“Well, first of all Cyber, I have to thank you for being so patient. Some of this information had to be translated a few times, and some of it came through the mail. But I think I can safely say I have the right answers to your questions.”

She let out a breath, steadying herself. “Okay. What did you find out?”

“So, to answer the first question you had, about whether this “Genesis” is telling you the truth – yes. From what I can see, she really is doing the kinds of things she’s been telling you about. Apart from your meetings at night, she’s only out during the day, and she’s never without a group of those creations surrounding her.” Yashimoto stood up and handed Cybersix two photos. “Those are the best shots I could get. I didn’t take too many, but they’re pretty typical of what I saw.”

Cybersix smiled a little sadly as she looked at the photos of her friend. In the first, she was exiting Jose’s limousine. In the second, she appeared to be looking at something in the distance as the group was on its way down a street. In both she was surrounded by other creations, like a living barrier against the real world.

“She looks like a celebrity trying to play tourist,” remarked Lucas. “Like they’re afraid to let her out of their sight.”

“I’m sure they are. I don’t think she’s allowed to be on her own,” replied Cybersix. She looked up at Yashimoto. “What about the name?”

He cleared his throat again anxiously. “Right.” Taking his seat again, he turned to the next page of evidence. “Your question about the name. Well, you were right about having to look outside Meridiana. Luckily, I was able to get some help on the internet, from one of the message boards I post on. You know what a message board is, right?”

They both did. “I’ve never used one, but I understand the idea,” Cybersix assured him.

“Great. I managed to get in touch with a student at the University of Berlin through one of them. And the great thing about that place is all the international students it attracts.” Yashimoto smiled. “I found a Japanese national there and he was happy to help me, which is good because I don’t speak German, and he doesn’t speak Spanish!”

“Wow, talk about a lucky break!” said Lucas.

“Yeah, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to get an answer without him...maybe not at all. But he found the name for me. It was in a police report from a few years ago.”

Cybersix was confused. “That recently?”

“It was about a case of a grave robbery in a Berlin cemetery. Somebody – well, probably more than one person – dug up a grave in the middle of the night, stole from it, and got away before they could get caught. The brother of the woman buried there wanted to press charges against the cemetery for letting it happen, as well as against whoever did it.” Yashimoto glanced at the paper. “He apparently wasn’t a stranger to the law himself – he was a former SS Officer in his seventies, one Rudolf Schweitzer. His sister’s name was Maria.”

“Uh oh,” muttered Lucas.

“Yeah. He was convinced it was done out of revenge against his brother-in-law.”

“Wait,” said Cybersix. “Schweitzer was her maiden name? She didn’t take her husband’s?”

“Well, she did actually. See, that’s just it – her family buried her under their name because they were afraid this exact kind of thing would happen. Her husband was a wanted man at the end of the war, and he managed to escape. But she didn’t; she was killed in a bombing near the Swiss border. They didn’t even get her body back until a couple of years later.”

“They weren’t travelling together? How do they know he wasn’t killed too?” asked Lucas.

“They probably don’t know,” admitted Yashimoto. “But we do. Because his name was von Reichter.”

“Oh God!” Cybersix’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh God, it _is_ her!” Lucas put his arm around her and she touched his hand. “Did they...did they say what was stolen?”

Yashimoto hesitated. He knew what he was about to say would only upset her further, but he had to tell the truth. “Her wedding ring, and the finger it was on.”

Cybersix shuddered, and he saw tears in her eyes, but she didn’t break down. Now he realized why she had been so nervous. His investigation had only confirmed what she had already suspected.

She spoke quietly. “She’s a clone. She’s wearing the ring from the finger Reichter used to clone her.” She moved in closer to Lucas. “He even made her use the original’s name as an alias. And she has no idea about any of this.”

Lucas looked grim. “So, he’s tried to replace his wife with a copy of herself.” Something occurred to him. “But why now? Why not back in the Fifties? Was he waiting for people to stop looking for him first?”

“Maybe,” guessed Yashimoto. “Or maybe he didn’t have the ability to clone someone until after the wall was built. And by then, it was too hard to get in and out of Berlin. Or maybe...there is no rational explanation why.”

“Yeah, I’d say ‘rational’ went out the window a long time ago with that guy.” He pulled away from Cybersix a little to look at her face. “Are you gonna be okay?”

She smiled and wiped at her eyes a little. “I think so. It’s just...a lot to think about.”

“I have one more thing here,” Yashimoto started hesitantly, “if you want to see it, I mean.”

“Of course.”

“My friend was able to find the grave - all fixed up, of course. He took a picture and mailed it to me. It might – well, I’ll let you see for yourself.” He gave it to Cybersix, who accepted it with a hand that trembled slightly. Her eyes widened in surprise.

The polished marble stone in the photo was a little worse for wear from fifty years’ worth of the elements, but the inscription was still clear:

_SCHWEITZER_

_Maria Charlotte_

_12.4.20 – 7.3.45_

_Josef Maximillien_

_1945_

_Ruhe in Frieden_

“ _Josef?_ ” Cybersix and Lucas blurted out the name at the same time and looked at each other, amazed.

“They had -”

“But her brother never mentioned -”

“Wait. What if she was still pregnant when she died?” Cybersix looked up at Yashimoto. “Of course! It makes so much sense! So Jose isn’t just von Reichter’s clone – he’s meant to replace the child he lost!”

“It was a shock when I opened the envelope, that’s for sure.”

“Poor Maria,” mused Cybersix. “And poor Genesis.”

The three of them sat for a moment in thought. Lucas was the first to speak again.

“Now that you know all this, Cyber...what are you going to do? Tell her who she is?”

Cybersix shook her head. “I can’t tell her,” she said, decisively. “Not yet, anyway. It’s just too much to put on her. But if I’m going to help Genesis break free, then I’m going to have to tell her something about what’s really going on. And she’s not going to like it.”

“What are you going to tell her?” asked Yashimoto.

“My story. About what happened to the Cybers. I have to at least try to tell her who her master really is. Even if – even if it turns her against me.”


	9. Cruel To Be Kind

Jose watched on the monitor, smirking, as Genesis changed into jeans and a sweater and put on a pair of running shoes. As expected, she headed to the window, taking another bottle of sustenance with her. She scanned the yard briefly before taking off.

_You think you’ve got everyone fooled, don’t you, bitch?_ He mused. It was almost sad how clever and devious she thought she was. But the truth was, Jose had been suspicious ever since he had seen her take that first bottle up to her room. She couldn’t possibly need it for herself, not that much and not so soon. He had immediately ordered extra security cameras, which were installed during the day while she was out. Fixed Ideas weren’t good for much, but at least they would never ask questions about why there should be hidden cameras in the guest room and outside its window. Calling it “security” was good enough for them.

Obviously, he really only needed the one outside the window, but he figured he might as well get something decent out of this whole situation. If he had known what the clone had looked like before she arrived, he would have had everything set up ahead of time. It was pretty enraging, really. If he was his father’s clone, and Genesis was the clone of his wife, then by all rights, she should have belonged to him. But no - it was just another in a long line of insults he was expected to endure. Of course, he didn’t have a death wish. He knew better than to actually try anything with her, and besides – he couldn’t stand her personality. She was such a little pushover.

In any case, Jose was enjoying himself, sitting as he was on an explosive piece of information he would eventually pass on to his father. It was obvious that Genesis had discovered the existence of the Cyber and was meeting up with her regularly. He had been tempted to make the call when he first watched her sneak out on camera, but he knew that would mean the end of his fun. He decided to sit on it for a while longer before bringing the hammer down. He liked the idea of holding something over the old man, whether it be information or the fact that he got to see every inch of his woman whenever she got in the bath.

Cybersix tried to steady her nerves as she waited, but she wasn’t having much luck.

Only two nights ago, she had learned the truth from Yashimoto, and she had been worried ever since about how this next meeting would go. Today had seemed to pass much too quickly and she had struggled to focus. It hadn’t been so bad during class, when she could distract herself by teaching lessons, but she had been a million miles away at lunchtime and almost missed the bell. She kept coming back to idea of Genesis as the Lady of Shalott and wondered if that made her Lancelot. Was she only bringing about a terrible curse by telling her friend the truth?

She saw Genesis approaching and took a deep breath, flexing her hands into fists a few times as she prepared herself. The woman was carrying another bottle of sustenance with her. Cybersix felt her heart ache. She was about to hurt her so badly. She knew she was doing the right thing, but it made her feel like such an ingrate.

They greeted each other and Cybersix led the way to their latest meeting place, the abandoned cathedral in which she had once made plans to rescue Ikiko Yashimoto. Genesis had mentioned wanting to see what a cathedral looked like on the inside but had felt too self-conscious to enter one with her security team. Cybersix had expected her solution to end up being a bit lackluster, but to her surprise, the dark, run-down expanse still managed to impress Genesis. Maybe it was because neither of them needed much light to appreciate its details. It was clear to Cybersix from the beginning that they had been given many of the same enhancements, although she was much faster and stronger than Genesis. After all, only one of them had been meant to be a super soldier.

Their shared fondness for high places saw them settle on a ledge high above the apse. Genesis watched as Cybersix drank the bottle of sustenance, this time without any hesitation.

“No one’s really ever questioned you about this?” she asked, holding up the empty bottle.

Genesis shook her head. “I swear it’s all right. You need it, no?”

“Well...I guess I do. Thank you.” This was it. “Genesis, it’s time I was honest with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to tell you the truth. About...why I’m out here on the rooftops at night. About who I really am.”

The other woman looked confused, and a little concerned. “I don’t understand. You’re not who you say you are?”

“Well, my name really is Cybersix, but I haven’t explained what that really means.” She held up her forearm with its designation of Cyber 6 tattooed into the flesh. “I’m number six of the Cyber series. Number six of five thousand.”

Genesis looked startled. “Five thousand? And I’ve only met one of you? Where are all the others?”

Cybersix sighed, knowing what was to come. “We were supposed to be an army of super soldiers. But we turned out to be too disobedient, too free-willed. When we were nine years old, von Reichter had us all killed. All but me. I escaped, thanks to a slave who took me away to safety. He’s the man I consider my true father, who ended up dying in the end, so that I could live. Then I came to Meridiana and I’ve been hiding here ever since. I get sustenance by hunting down other creations and biting their necks. Like a vampire.”

She was unsurprised by the look on her friend’s face, but it hurt her to see it all the same. Genesis stared at her wide-eyed, her lower lip trembling.

“That’s why I’ve wanted to keep our meetings a secret as much as you have. I’m the doctor’s greatest failure, and he wants me dead.” Cybersix fell silent. The air suddenly felt very heavy.

“No,” breathed Genesis, shaking her head slowly. “No, that’s not true. How could you say such things about Herr Doktor? He gave you life, he wouldn’t...that’s not true!”

“I’m sorry, Genesis. I know you don’t want to believe it, and I don’t like hurting you, but I swear I’m telling the truth. You deserve to know.”

“But...I can’t believe you! He’s our creator – our master!” Now she was beginning to cry. “Why are you saying these things to me? Aren’t you my friend?”

“Of course I’m your friend! That’s why I want you to know what’s really going on, and what our creator really is!”

Genesis got to her feet, and Cybersix did the same. They stared at each other, both hurting terribly.

“Please believe me. Please...don’t go.”

Genesis gave her a cold look through her tears. “I’m sorry Miss Cybersix. But...I think I must.” She leapt down off the ledge and fled as fast as she could back into the night.

Cybersix sank back down defeatedly. It was all over. She had done what needed to be done and told Genesis the truth.

_I just wish doing the right thing didn’t feel so awful_ , she thought, hugging herself in an attempt at comfort. Her friend was gone, and she felt very alone.

Genesis didn’t know what to think and wondered if she might be losing her mind.

She had certainly experienced confusion before tonight. And fear. She had even questioned her place in the hierarchy once or twice. But the things Cybersix was claiming had her feeling as if her world had shifted off its axis.

She had returned to the mansion and thrown herself on her bed, where she continued to cry until she felt numb. Her friend, the only woman she had ever confided in, had seemingly turned on her and was saying the most hideous things about their master. She couldn’t understand why Cybersix had done it. Was she just insane and imagining things? Had she gone against Herr Doktor’s will, then made up a lie to make herself look sympathetic?

As Genesis thought about the terrible things her friend had described, she began to wonder what it would mean if there turned out to be any truth in it. The idea of von Reichter murdering his own creations in cold blood was abhorrent – but if he gave them life, didn’t he have the right to take it away from them as well? Even if seemed wrong to her, it wasn’t her place to decide or pass judgement on his actions.

Was it?

If Genesis accepted what Cybersix was saying as the truth, it would lead her down a path that she was afraid to continue following. The world she thought she understood would no longer make any sense. She could try to dismiss it and pretend she had never even met the woman but...that was impossible. She couldn’t just stick her head in the sand and ignore what she had heard. More importantly, this was her friend. Someone she admired and trusted. Whatever the reality might be, she believed Cybersix was telling her what she thought was the truth and had risked their friendship to do so. Hurting Genesis had never been her intention.

She didn’t want to take her sleeping pills. There was too much to think about and it was too important to be suppressed. Eventually Genesis left her room and wandered about the mansion, lost in a gloomy cloud of thought.

The house was surprisingly quiet so late at night, and this combined with her deep and troubled thoughts meant that she was startled to hear a voice behind her as she entered the front room again.

“Miss Genesis, what are you doing down here so late?”

She turned to see Helmut standing in the doorway, looking only a little less startled than she was.

“I’m sorry,” she said, approaching him. “I was...I don’t know. I was thinking. Did I surprise you?”

“Well, I was giving the house a final check before going upstairs and I thought I heard someone in here. I just didn’t expect it was you, Miss. It’s not like you to be downstairs at this hour.” He was studying her face. “Is something the matter?”

It very much was, but she couldn’t possibly tell him. “It’s...it’s nothing. Sometimes I just worry about things.”

“I understand.” He offered her his hand. “May I take you back upstairs?”

She took it and allowed him to herd her back up to her room. She didn’t want to trouble him.

They paused outside her door. “Good night, Mr. Helmut.” “Goodnight, Miss Genesis. And please don’t worry too much. I’m sure everything will be alright.” She felt him gently squeeze her hand, and something about it made her heart ache a little, though she didn’t quite know why. She knelt down and hugged the boy, feeling him hesitate at first before returning the gesture. Von Reichter couldn’t be the monster Cybersix claimed him to be, not when he made creations like Helmut.

But hadn’t he also made Jose?


	10. The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side

Jose propped his feet up on the desk and smiled serenely as he waited for his phone call to be answered at the jungle compound. Krumens picked up after several rings and Jose asked, ever so casually, to speak to his father. He could barely contain his glee.

After a few minutes, von Reichter picked up the receiver, sounding annoyed. “What is it, Jose? I’m very busy.”

“Father, I’m afraid I have some terrible news,” Jose began, pretending to be very concerned. “It’s about Genesis...” he trailed off.

“What? What’s going on?” He had the old man where he wanted him, right off the bat.

“Well, I was reviewing some security footage of the yard a few nights ago, and one of the cameras caught her sneaking out her window and running off somewhere. She didn’t return for hours!”

There was a pregnant pause at the other end. Then, “I see.”

Jose continued. “Of course, after that I decided to watch the cameras for the next few nights. And last night, she left again. With a bottle of sustenance. She came back looking very upset.” He left it at that to let the implication sink in.

He could almost hear his father’s jaw clenching in rage. “Jose, if this is some kind of sick joke I swear to God -”

“It’s no joke, Father, I promise! I can send you the footage if you want it!”

“No. I’ve heard enough. I’m coming down there and taking care of this myself. _Tonight_.” He hung up abruptly.

Jose cackled as he put the receiver back. _Oh, you’re in for it now, you little slut. You have no idea what kind of hell is about to rain down on you!_

“Please, just be careful Cyber,” said Lucas, putting a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. She had appeared at his window to inform him of her intention to contact Genesis, even if it was only one last time. He knew there was no use in trying to convince her otherwise. She had so few female allies, and even fewer who could truly understand her odd situation. Combine this with her relentless drive to help others, and it was no wonder she couldn’t leave things to end on such an ugly note with the unfortunate clone.

“You worry about me too much, Lucas,” she replied, putting her hand over his. “But I’ll try. I just hope she’s willing to listen to me.”

“If anyone can save her, it’s you.”

They gazed into each other’s faces for a moment, saying nothing. Then as quickly as she had arrived, Cybersix pulled away and Lucas watched her launch herself off of his window ledge, disappearing like a graceful shadow into the night.

She slowed her pace as she approached the mansion, on high alert for any potential threats lurking nearby. Cybersix had been downplaying the threat when she had spoken to Lucas. The truth was that this was incredibly risky. Maybe even a little foolish. She was half-expecting an army of creatures waiting for her in the yard. Still, she just couldn’t bear to leave things this way. Her friend deserved better.

Everything seemed suspiciously calm and ordinary outside the mansion. She hid nearby in the shadows and studied the windows, now and then circling the property at a safe distance in order to check on them all. She could only guess at the layout inside the house and wasn’t sure just where she might expect an extra bedroom to be.

After a few passes, she saw a light come on in a window at the back of the house and watched in anticipation. She couldn’t believe her luck as she watched Genesis brush the curtains aside, staring out unhappily into the darkness. Did she miss her friend as well?

_This is it_ , thought Cybersix. She looked around quickly for a piece of loose stonework or some other small projectile. Finding nothing loose, she spied a nearby chimney and used her strength to wrench a weather-worn piece of brick away from it, crushing it into several smaller pieces. She got into position as close as she dared and sent the first fragment of brick hurtling toward the window.

It didn’t make much noise, but it made enough, and Genesis jumped in surprise, looking around in confusion. Cybersix launched another piece of brick. This time Genesis could tell where it came from and looked right at the place Cybersix had been hiding. She stood up and walked forward, revealing herself. She watched her friend’s eyes widen. Genesis opened the window and paused briefly before slipping out. She crossed the yard and leapt onto the rooftop where the Cyber stood waiting.

“Cybersix? Why are you here?” she asked guardedly.

“Because I wanted to see you again,” she answered plainly. “I know we didn’t part on a good note last time, and I’m sure you’re angry, but...I miss you.”

Genesis smiled shyly and relaxed her stance a little. “I miss you as well. I was angry, but now – now I don’t know what I feel.” Her smile faded and she looked sad again.

“Look, why don’t we go back to the cathedral,” suggested Cybersix. “Maybe we can come to an understanding.”

“Yes, we should.” The two women turned and headed for their destination, unaware that their encounter had been observed and that they were now being followed. Soon Jose’s limousine pulled out into the street, guided over the phone by the young voices of several Types as they trailed their prey across the rooftops.

Cybersix and Genesis entered the cathedral together through the same broken window as before. Neither of them spoke a word until they were back on the ledge. They looked at each other awkwardly.

Cybersix began first. “Genesis, I’m sorry. I wanted to do what I thought was the right thing, and even though I still feel like I did...I wish I could have done it without hurting you.”

“Please don’t apologize, Cybersix. I know you don’t want to hurt me. I’m just so confused.” Her voice sounded strained. “I want to believe you, but I also don’t, because if you’re right...if you’re right, then...” she couldn’t finish.

Cybersix moved closer and placed a reassuring hand over her friend’s. Genesis looked up at her. “It’s up to you, not me. You believe what you think is right, and whatever you decide, I’ll be here for you.”

“I trust you,” said Genesis, “and I want to -”

The two of them jumped in fright as their heartfelt conversation was suddenly interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice.

“Really, Cybersix. Trying to corrupt the innocent? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”


	11. Two Apostates

Cybersix and Genesis scrambled to their feet and stared in shock as von Reichter approached. They had been so focused on their conversation that they hadn’t noticed him until he had walked almost all the way up the aisle and began to speak. He stopped in front of the altar and stared hatefully back at them. The faint light filtering through the windows glinted off his monocle but did little to illuminate his shadowy figure.

The two women descended to the floor but didn’t come any closer.

“Herr Doktor, what are you doing here?” stammered Genesis. She had spoken in Spanish, Cybersix noticed, not German. Could it be for her sake?

“I don’t think I owe you an explanation, Liebchen,” he answered, his voice still remarkably even. “In fact, I think the one who needs to do the explaining is you.” He abruptly dropped the façade. “How dare you disobey me?”

“Master, I -”

He cut her off, enraged. “I’ve given you everything, you bitch! I gave you life, I gave you a beautiful body with abilities a normal human could only dream of! You’ve been given everything you could ever want! And all I expected in return is for you to show some gratitude and follow a few simple rules! I sent you here while I looked for a way to fix your worthless brain and you repaid me by allying yourself with an even worse ingrate!”

“But -”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear your pathetic excuses! You’ll answer for this later. And as for you...” he turned his focus to Cybersix, and as he did, she saw his hand move toward something underneath his trench coat. He was armed.

Time seemed to slow down as she saw him bring the gun up, cock it and aim at her chest. She saw the flash as he fired. In the split second that followed, she heard Genesis cry out to her and as she began to turn her body away, she felt herself being pushed. She was sent off-balance and fell hard on her side. Looking up, she caught sight of her friend holding her right arm close to her with the opposite hand, staring in horror at the blood spilling out between her fingers.

Cybersix was back on her feet in an instant. She took hold of the other woman, expecting her to faint or at least fall to her knees from the pain. But Genesis fought to keep standing. She glanced at Cybersix, then her master.

Von Reichter now looked as incredulous as he did angry. “You fucking bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Genesis bravely locked eyes with him. “It’s true, then?” she asked, breathing heavily. “Master, you killed the other Cybers, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did! The Cybers were a failure!” He was directing his wrath at Cybersix and she could almost physically feel it. “They wouldn’t obey their creator – they refused to! They didn’t deserve to live, and I had every right to destroy them! _And who the hell are you to pass judgement on me?_ ”

“No one,” answered Genesis softly. She pulled away and walked a few steps forward, leaving a growing trail of blood behind her. “I’m no one. I live in a false world.” Her voice cracked. “I shouldn’t be alive.”

“No...” whispered Cybersix. “Don’t say that.”

Von Reichter’s voice was utterly cold. “Well, then there’s one thing we can agree on, at least. _Auf Wiedersehen, Liebchen_.” He aimed again and fired.

Cybersix saw him pull the trigger and moved as fast as she could, but he was closer to his target this time and she made no attempt to run. She grabbed hold of Genesis by the arm and was pulling her away, just as the bullet tore into her flesh. It was too late. Genesis started to fall backwards, an arc of blood splatter erupting from her chest.

But Cybersix didn’t stop. Gathering Genesis into her arms, she flew up the sides of the cathedral, jumping from ledge to ledge until she was up in the gallery and, launching herself backwards, crashed through a window and made her escape.

The creations waiting outside looked at each other in alarm as a second gunshot rang out, followed a few seconds later by the sound of shattering glass. Von Reichter had ordered them to wait in front of the cathedral while he confronted the renegade and her hostage by himself. None of them dared question his actions, but they did wonder if he was in danger, especially once the gun had been fired again.

Eventually, a Techno gathered his courage and walked toward the entrance. He pushed aside one of the heavy wooden doors and ventured into the darkness.

There wasn’t enough light to see much of anything, and he walked cautiously down the aisle. He was beginning to worry that something terrible had happened. It was too quiet.

He was almost at the altar when he was finally able to make out the form of his master. He was down on one knee and the Techno could hear his heavy breaths. The Cyber must have injured him.

“Master! Are you alright?”

Von Reichter stood up but made no move to turn around.

“Master?” the Techno ventured again cautiously. He heard a click.

Von Reichter suddenly turned and wordlessly delivered a fatal shot to the Techno’s head. The last thing the creature saw as he died was the face of his creator, furious and streaked with tears.

_Please_ , thought Cybersix, moving across the city as fast as she could. _Please, please, please just hold on_. She could see Yashimoto’s building coming into view. _And please be at home_.

She had realized right away that it was far to dangerous to hide Genesis at Adrian’s apartment, and almost as dangerous to hide her at Lucas’. He had been targeted by von Reichter’s creatures before for his work at The Independent and his apartment might well be one of the first places they tried if they came looking for her. That left Yashimoto as the best choice, since they didn’t know he was back. Cybersix just hoped she wasn’t asking too much of him.

He was home after all, and let her in right away, but gave her a look of horror once he saw the blood all over her and who she was carrying.

“Oh my God, Cyber!” He exclaimed. “Quick, put her on my bed and I’ll go get some towels to try and stop the bleeding. What happened?”

“Von Reichter happened,” answered Cybersix, as she walked into the bedroom. “She saved my life, and now I’m trying to save hers.”

Yashimoto reappeared with an armful of towels and a blanket. She grimaced. “I’m sorry about all the blood, Miao.”

“Never mind, that’s...is she going to be okay?” They worked together, wrapping the bicep and putting pressure on the second wound, below and just to the right of her neck. “This is really serious, and I’m guessing we can’t take her to a hospital.”

“No, we can’t. I hate to ask this of you, but can I hide her here at your place? At least, for now, unless she...” Cybersix stopped before she could say it out loud. _Unless she dies_.

Yashimoto sighed, but he gave her a smile. “Well, I’m already in it this far, aren’t I?”

“Thank you. I mean it.”

Genesis made a noise, not quite fully conscious. Yashimoto looked down at her and frowned. “I don’t have much in the way of first aid. We’re going to need more supplies.”

Cybersix stood up. “I’ll call Lucas and ask him to bring over as much as he can. Will you stay with her until he gets here? There’s something else I have to get for her. It might make all the difference.”

He agreed, and she left the room to use the phone. When she returned, she saw Yashimoto holding a damp washcloth to the clone’s forehead. She was murmuring something incoherent.

“She’s burning up,” he said.

“I’m about to help with that,” Cybersix told him. She sat on the bed beside Genesis and tried to gently rouse her. Genesis opened her eyes but looked confused.

“Cyber?”

“Genesis, I have to leave, but I’m going to be right back. This is my friend Miao. He’s going to take care of you for now, okay?”

“Am I dead?”

“No, you’re not dead. Just hold on, I’ll be right back, I promise.” She got up and hurried out of the room, slipping back out of the window. There wasn’t much time.

He sat alone with her and waited, getting up once to run more cold water over the rapidly heating washcloth. Every so often, the woman would open her eyes or say something that didn’t quite make sense. He thought the bleeding might be slowing down, but he didn’t want to remove the towels to look and risk letting it start all over again. She was strong, but she wasn’t immortal. Like Cybersix, she was something unnatural, something more than human, but right now...she looked so helpless and breakable. He felt sorry for her. Nearly everything that had happened in her life so far had been out of her control, until the moment she chose to risk death and save her friend.

_I hope you pull through, Genesis_ , thought Yashimoto. _I think I’d like to get to know you._


	12. Lend Her Grace

Helmut passed through the mansion and made his way to the back door, pointedly avoiding everyone as he did so. In his hands was a bouquet of white flowers.

He went into the yard and pressed on wordlessly until he had reached the farthest edges of the property and entered a secluded corner hidden by trees and creeping foliage. There, unbeknownst to anyone, he had planted a small cross a few days earlier and had returned to it several times already. He laid the bouquet of flowers in front of it and stepped back.

He stood respectfully for a moment, clenching his fists at his sides as he fought the tightness in his throat. Things had ended so tragically. It just wasn’t fair. He felt his tears coming despite his best efforts and finally let them fall.

“I loved you, Miss Genesis.”

“So that’s what I do. I get it all together, I get to the apartment and Cybersix shows up about a minute later in the window carrying one of those creatures! I mean, she’s knocked the thing out cold and there she goes, carrying it over one shoulder into the bedroom!”

“You’re kidding! And then she – what, _fed_ it to the woman?”

“Well, yeah, pretty much. I mean, Cyber had to bite it for her because she was so out of it, but Genesis drank from it and her fever went right down!” Lucas paused to drink his coffee. “I guess she’ll need more soon, though, I don’t know how much they’re supposed to have in their system normally. And she lost a lot of blood.”

“I’m sure Cybersix can handle it,” Adrian reassured him. He shook his head. “If I didn’t know it was all true, it would sound so crazy.” It was funny how these stories about Cybersix sounded coming from a normal human. Like science fiction and drama, but always so full of humanity. It was almost enough to make a person forget she was the product of a madman’s laboratory.

When Cybersix had grabbed Genesis, it had caused von Reichter’s shot to hit her not in the heart, or even the lung, but just under her right collarbone. Not being human, her bone and muscle stayed remarkably intact, damaged but not broken or torn. Once the site had been cleaned up and the wound could be inspected, Cybersix had managed to reach in as far as she could and tug the bullet out with a pair of tweezers. The bullet to her arm had passed through, but again, nothing was beyond repair. Genesis was very strong, but of course, she was also very lucky. All of von Reichter’s genetic engineering wouldn’t have helped her if she had been shot in the heart.

She was still very weak, but she might still survive, and Cybersix, more than anyone, hoped she would. She had been Sir Lancelot after all, inspiring Genesis to look away from her mirror and see the real world, and while she had certainly felt the curse fall on her for it, there was still a chance she might get a happier ending than her counterpart in the poem.

Later, after he and Lucas had parted ways, Adrian set out into the bright afternoon sun and headed for home. The rain had stopped in the last few days, and the best of the spring weather seemed to be settling in. He smiled as a woman and her preschool-aged daughter walked past, the little girl busily chattering away as she held tightly to her mother’s hand.

Long ago, there had been a woman who had died before her child could be born, and Genesis was all that was left of her. What the woman had been like, Cybersix could never know for sure. She could only imagine her through the personality of her clone, and through the fragments of her memories that haunted that clone in her dreams. Maybe she was kind. Maybe she was thoughtful. Maybe she rebelled against the darkness she saw around her.

Cybersix, as Adrian, looked up at the clear blue sky and for a moment felt a rare sense of peace.

_Mom_ , thought Cybersix.


End file.
